Virtual Subsystem Grouping for Patch Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Constructing a test environment for a large-scale user system to verify software update patches is challenging, and determining the appropriate subsystems for countermeasure verification is difficult due to potential issues with unnecessary effects on other subsystems and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A computer system classifies subsystems into environment groups based on similarity, generates virtual reproduction subsystems, and applies countermeasures to these subsystems to verify the effectiveness of the countermeasures while minimizing unnecessary impact on other subsystems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all subsystems are determined as verification targets, then verification coverage is improved, but verification cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large-scale user system into multiple environment groups based on subsystem characteristics and relationships. By dividing the verification target from 'all subsystems' into 'specific environment groups', the system achieves focused verification coverage while reducing the quantity of subsystems requiring verification, thus resolving the contradiction between verification coverage and verification cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by identifying and selecting specific environment groups with particular characteristics (such as subsystems with similar problems or related functions) as verification targets, rather than applying uniform verification to all subsystems. This targeted approach ensures adequate verification coverage for critical areas while reducing overall verification cost.
2Reliability
If countermeasure is applied to all subsystems, then verification thoroughness is improved, but performance degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the subsystems into environment groups and applies countermeasures only to selected groups rather than all subsystems. This segmentation allows thorough verification of countermeasures in targeted areas while avoiding unnecessary performance degradation in subsystems that do not require the countermeasure, thus resolving the contradiction between verification thoroughness and system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different treatments to different environment groups based on their specific characteristics and problem types. Subsystems with similar problems receive the countermeasure for thorough verification, while other subsystems maintain their original performance characteristics, balancing verification thoroughness with system performance.
3Measurement precision
If test environment for large-scale system is constructed, then verification accuracy is improved, but construction difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates simplified copies (environment groups) of the large-scale user system that capture essential characteristics and relationships. These copied environments provide sufficient verification accuracy for countermeasure testing while dramatically reducing construction difficulty compared to replicating the entire large-scale system, thus resolving the contradiction between verification accuracy and construction difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts specific environment groups with relevant characteristics from the large-scale user system to form verification test environments. By taking out only the necessary subsystems and relationships needed for verification, the system achieves adequate verification accuracy while avoiding the complexity of constructing a complete large-scale test environment.
Data Source
AI summary
The computer system executes environment classification of classifying a plurality of subsystems, each being a physical or virtual computer system, into one or more environment groups being one or more groups. The computer system stores classification result data which is data representing a relationship between the environment group and the subsystems belonging to the environment group. The computer system selects, from the classification result data, the environment group to which the subsystem having undergone a problem belongs. The computer system generates a reproduction subsystem which is a virtual subsystem virtually reproducing the subsystem for each of the subsystems belonging to the selected classification result group. The computer system applies the countermeasure to at least one reproduction subsystem for the purpose of verifying the countermeasure for the problem.